Various portable electric grilling appliances, including waffle makers, of the general type described above have been marketed for many years. In addition, commercial waffle makers have been available which have two heating units mounted on a stanchion or base. These have an upper heating unit and a lower heating unit. A handle attached to the upper heating unit is raised to open the grilling chamber in order to pour a batter onto the lower grill. Thereafter, the grilling chamber is closed and the two heating units are rotated to invert the two heating units.
A portable household waffle maker has also been advertised which is constructed so that it can be turned upside down during use to spread waffle batter onto both grill elates thereof.
Grilling appliances, when used, occupy a significant area of counter space because of their relatively large square area or “footprint.” The relatively large area can present a storage problem and it has been recognized that such appliances can advantageously occupy less storage space if stored on an edge in a vertical rather than in a horizontal orientation. However, when a typical grilling appliance that has two relatively pivotal heating units is placed on an edge, the two heating units tend to fall away from one another and at least one of them typically falls to a generally horizontal position. Various clamping systems have been suggested and used to clamp together the two heating units of a grilling appliance having two heating units so that the heating appliance can be stored on an edge. Such clamping systems may be useful but add to the cost of manufacturing a heating appliance and, if separate from the heating appliance, are easily misplaced and can become a source of irritation to the purchaser of the heating appliance.